SUB. CONTINUATION: ALONG CAME A SPIDER

Along Came A Spider is a metal band emerging from the city of Rock N’ Roll itself. With a strong work ethic, and their “Web Heads” backing them, they just might take over the music industry as we know it. Focusing on topics such as their recent addition to Standby Records and the much anticipated new full length album due to drop at the end of the month, Substream got the full scoop on Along Came A Spider! Read on to see what these Cleveland natives have to say.

Substream Music Press:Along Came A Spider was formed in 2009 by Justin Sobota. Can you give us a quick summary of how the rest of the members made the cut?

Along Came A Spider: Justin (guitar/back up vocals) is certainly our foundation and the reason the band even continues to exist today. Ian (bass) has been around since the early materialization of ACAS. He’s always had the look and energy that we were going for and was motivation for the continuation of the band. Tony (drums) was just a fill in at first but his personality and style fit well with the band. Once he sat down behind the kit, we knew that he belonged there more than anyone. When we first heard Carl sing we knew that he was “the guy” that could take our sound and songs to the level we always knew they could be. You can’t find too many front-men who can scream and sing like he can. Our keyboardist Calo just showed up out of nowhere one day and wanted to part of the band. We liked his drive and personality so much that we made a spot for him in a position he didn’t even know how to play. The next day he bought a keyboard, came up with some melodies and the rest is history. Our final piece to the puzzle was Luke (lead guitar) who added the element of shred that we were aiming for. We had lost our lead guitarist months earlier and after so many auditions, Luke just blew everyone away. Since his involvement the band has started to become more technical in guitar work.

SMP:You’ve been compared to wildly popular bands, such as A Day To Remember and Bless The Fall. Do you ever feel like the pressure is on for you because of these comparisons?

ACAS: Not at all, musically we don’t feel any pressure. We have full faith in our sound and any comparisons to bands like that are extremely flattering. They are where we want to be and we hope to be there one day. We just don’t want to ever be considered a “cookie-cutter” band or generic in any way.

SMP:There have been countless statements about how your work ethic is unlike any other band out there, because you have the drive to make it in such a competitive industry. What are some challenges you face as a metal band from Ohio trying to make a name for yourself?

ACAS: Well, the main challenge is getting your band beyond the local scene. Playing in our hometown is always awesome but if we want to be heard, we have to go beyond the county lines of downtown Cleveland. As a relative unknown, it’s always hard to begin the touring cycle. Luckily our keyboardist used to be a national booking agent, and that has helped us out tremendously. As our fan base grows, the job gets easier. But as soon as we hurdle one challenge, another presents itself. It’s the drive to keep jumping those constant hurdles that helps us survive in this industry. People have honed in on our work ethic because prior to Standby, we did everything ourselves. Justin does all of the artwork and designs, we self-funded everything including our record and buying a motorhome. We put everything we have into this band and we are happy that it gets recognized.

SMP:Your new full length album, If We Were Normal Men, is due to be dropped at the end of this month. The meaning behind the title of your new album is quite clever, to be honest. Can you tell your “Web Heads” a little about the story behind If We Were Normal Men,and what they can expect off of this album?

ACAS: We really strive to put meaning behind everything we do. The album was built with a concept in mind and hence why all of the songs are centered on extraordinary people. Whether it’s the fictional blade-wielding weapon known as Wolverine, the twisted blood lust mind of Dexter Morgan, or the real Cleveland Gangster Danny Greene we really tried to make an album outside the cookie-cutter metal core mold. Each song has a theme and the album title itself begs the question, would we be the band we are now “If We Were Normal Men”?

SMP:You’ve played shows with bands such as I See Stars, Chiodos, and Dance Gavin Dance. What was it like for you to share the stage with such renowned bands?

ACAS: It is very unreal thinking back at the opportunities we got to play with these bands. We sold a lot of tickets for a local venue, and they hit us up out of the blue and asked “Would you guys want to open up for Chiodos?” and after the shock wore off we answered “Hell Yes!”. After that we just kept building a positive relationship with many venues so we could earn more chances to play with “Big Name” bands. We look up to all the big national acts and respect them for everything they have done. Every time we play with a big band we always learn something new and we are very grateful for that. December 1st we will be opening the Monster presents Breakout Tour with Memphis May Fire, Asking Alexandra, Atilla, and Suicide Silence.

SMP: The band has obviously worked very hard to get to where it’s at now. In honor of all your efforts, you’ve been signed to Standby Records. How does it feel to be signed?

ACAS: We couldn’t be happier to be with Standby Records. They have done so much for us already and they are really on the cutting edge of Rock N Roll’s second coming. It is a model that we support and we are honored that they believe in us the same way. We love all of our label mates and are proud to be a part of the Standby family.

SMP: Along Came A Spider is definitely showing that Cleveland based music is not dead. With such a strong influence over this scene already, what can fans expect within the next year?

ACAS: We fly the Cleveland flag as often as possible which is why we’re not only a band based here, we chose to record our album here, we went with a label from here. We want to be known nationally, but we enjoy our place in Heart Shaped State. There are a lot of great local bands in CLE and the camaraderie between the top-tier of locals here is inspiring and a wonderful atmosphere to be consumed in after years of bands hating on each other. Most places are just trying to keep their “scene” alive but Cleveland is on the verge of the national map in terms of sheer talent.

Fans can expect a lyric video along with a proper music video. We have more funny webisodes that we plan to add to our YouTube and Facebook page. We also plan to do a lot of touring. We’ll be having a big CD Release show in January to kick off three months of hitting the road hard at the beginning of the year. This is merely the beginning for us and we intend to be around for a while.